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Chapter 15: Army Service

On September 17, 1942 I reported to the Fort Douglas Recep-
tion Center for new recruits. We all received a series of “shots,” our
Army uniforms and were interviewed and tested regarding our possible
assignments in the Army. This process took about three days. While
awaiting word on where I would be sent, I worked as “KP” at the Post
Exchange. I was ordered to report to and was interviewed by Major
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the Reception Center. Major Walsh said he would like to assign me to
his group and asked if I had any comments. I thought it would be good
to be assigned there because I could see Jean. I had no idea how long the
assignment would last.
When I entered the Army, Jean decided to give up our apart-
ment, which had been created in the basement of her old family home
at 45 East North Temple. Helen and Stan Lakin, Jean’s aunt and uncle,
th
invited her to live with them in their new home on 2035 East 9 South.
This house was almost a mile directly south of the Reception Center.
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versity of Utah campus in the Union Building. She worked until Christ-
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the longest a pregnant woman was allowed to work.
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coming inductees to secure the basic facts about their education, work
experience and their results on test that were administered by the Army.
These were intended to guide what Army job the recruits should be as-
signed. One set of these tests was to measure intelligence; the other tests
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work. There were 27 interviewers assigned to this work. We not only
worked together, we were assigned to the same barracks. We were all
enlisted men and 26 out of 27 were college graduates. Obviously, Ma-
jor Walsh was selective. I found these fellows to be a congenial group
– they were intelligent and capable. All these fellows were assigned to
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